January 14th, 2008Bicycle Laws Changing in Japan
For the first time in 30 years, the laws governing bicycle operation in Japan are changing. The National Police Agency is planning a full-scale revision to the out-dated rules and will crack down on unsafe conduct. Proposed revisions include outright banning the use of headphones, cell phones, reaching for cell phones and other mobile devices, and holding umbrellas during less than favourable weather.
What does this mean for people when they’re not riding a bike? Hopefully it means that cyclists will pay a bit more attention when they’re making their way in the city.
Other changes to the law include banning “triple-riding”. This practise involves carrying two young children in attached front and rear seats. Riding with one hand will also be banned. Fines for these practices are expected to be in the 20,000 Yen range (about $180 CDN).
Children will also legally be required to wear helmets whether riding on their own or as passengers. This is a pretty cool idea in theory, but I’m not sure if it will work with the older kids. Sure, Japan is a very rule-observant nation, but people typically don’t want to wear helmets and mess up their hair when they reach a certain age.
One expected change that I’m looking forward to is the discouragement of riding bicycles on crowded city streets. Far too often in Nagoya I’m forced to jump out of the way of some cyclist that’s pushing their way through an already over-crowded city sidewalk. It’s bad enough that half the space is taken up by parked bicycles, so jumping out of the way of someone that neither signals their manoevers or rides in a straight line is not a welcome diversion in my daily treks outside the office. So with this change, bicycles in general will be required to ride on the road.
Usage of umbrellas will also be outright banned, regardless of whether the cyclist is holding it or using an attached umbrella stand. Police say that umbrellas restrict the range of a cyclists vision and will instead promote the use of proper rain gear.
Sounds good, right?
I think this is great, myself, but I don’t think that we’ll see many changes in cycling habits. As it is, there’s barely any police presence in this country. It’s next to impossible to find a cop when you need one, and when people get into car accidents, they’re typically waiting around for half an hour before the men in blue make an appearance. So how well will these rules be enforced?
Hopefully people will abide by the updated rules when they come into effect this spring, but I’m not holding my breath. What do you think of the proposed changes?
I ride a moped, and as such am required to keep in the left-most 1 meter of the road. This is unfortunate because I keep almost having accidents with cyclists who are riding up the wrong side of the street, wanting to avoid the crowded sidewalks but not wanting to cross to the correct side of the street. I’ve also frequently seen bicycles running red lights and stop signs without checking for traffic, causing panic braking on the part of drivers who had the right of way.
I do hope that they crack down on unsafe cycling, but as part of that, I would like for them to ensure that bicycles that are on the street are obeying traffic laws, including which side of the road to ride on, stopping at red lights, and not passing turning traffic on the inside of the turn. Because otherwise, you are just shifting the cyclist danger from pedestrians to motor traffic.
All right, I think passing laws for how to ride a bike is ridiculous. Yes, I agree that cyclists are a danger to themselves and pedestrians, but introducing laws in the absence of common sense is just silly. What this country needs to do is educate cyclists, not threaten them with fines. You can’t just throw cyclists into the street without at least teaching them how to ride on the road. In England, most primary school children take a cycling proficiency test (at least in my day), and even the Highway Code has considerations for cyclists so drivers understand that they share the road with bicycles, and they learn how to deal with that.
Laws that prevent one-handed cycling? No earphones? Geez, what happened to common sense and taking responsibility for your own actions? If you’re involved in an accident due to your own stupidity, more fool you, but people should be encouraged to ride responsibly, not forced to do so by overzealous lawmakers.
There are dumb laws for motorists, too. For example, you can drink hot coffee, eat a Big Mac, smoke a cigarette and listen to your car stereo all at the same time while driving, but if you talk on a cell phone, you’ll get slapped with a fine. Did you know that it’s a law to wear a seatbelt, but there’s no fine if you don’t. On the flip side, if you drink and drive, you have to pay a million yen!
If it were up to me, I’d make a catch-all law: “If you drive or cycle irresponsibly, you will be punished according to the severity of your stupidity”.
Finally, let’s see our tax money get put to good use. I’d rather my taxes be used to educate cyclists and have some cycle lanes made, than give it to China to “clean the air” or give it to the U.S to “stop terrorists” in Afghanistan.
Oh, hang on, final point. If a crazy cyclist knocks you over when you’re walking down the street, of course you should be angry, but enough with the legislation already! If you start complaining about cyclists, and laws such as “no umbrellas” get introduced, you’re only inconveniencing yourself the next time you hop on a bike!
I’m on my soapbox now so let me continue… the number of irresponsible cyclists is probably tiny. Why should the millions of sensible cyclists suffer because of the minority? These rules are just ridiculous! Should we ban high heels because you could fall over and hurt yourself? Oh, Jason you’re a Canadian so I’ve got one for you…
In Canada, they’ve banned baby walkers, you know those things to help toddlers walk. Apparently there are too many incidents of babies falling down the stairs in their baby walkers, so they’ve been outlawed. That means that good parents couldn’t buy a baby walker even if they wanted too, even if they had no steps in the house! Dumb! dumb! dumb!
Come on people! If we can demonstrate some common sense and act responsibly, there’d be no need for all these silly laws. [End of rant]
I think the umbrella rule sucks. When it rains and I need to get somewhere, I ride my bike and carry an umbrella. I’m pretty good at it too.
Overall though, I don’t really care. I can always walk if they pass these laws before (if) I leave Japan.
@Drew - I’ve also seen several cyclists run red lights only to cause motor traffic to slam on the breaks and come within centimeters of a several car pile-up, and I’ve also seen cyclists ride very stupidly down the sidewalks of Nagoya, practically knocking people out of their way as they go. It’ll be nice if people pay a little more attention to the rules of the road (and sidewalk), and perhaps a little fine will make some of the dumber ones fall in line.
@Nick - It’s a shame you got off that soap box. I’ve been disgusted with the legal system in Canada for years because it protects idiots from themselves.
I’ve suffered bumps and bruises all my life for every stupid thing I’ve ever done. What has it taught me? It’s taught me to be a little more responsible and pay attention to my surroundings (as well as appreciating the poetic justice of ’cause and effect’). The more we protect people from their own idiocy, and the more we sue people for our own ignorance and stupidity, the more we (as society) slip towards that final showdown between those who can think, and those we often refer to as “mouth breathers”.
I had come to Japan thinking that people in this country were a little more sensible, and so far it’s true. But the governments of both nations are just as insulting.
@Thomas - The problem isn’t the law. The problem is you. People who are competent have no place in this country. If you want to ride your bike, talk on a cell phone, carry and umbrella and listen to music, then you’re just *way* too coordinated to be living in this country
Iam someone who rides a bike back and forth to work every day and I can’t even begin to count the number of times I have almost had head-on collisions with
cyclists who were riding on the wrong side of the road, not to mention wearing earphones and often trying to dial their keitai at the same time!! Too many of the se people have absolutely NO common sense, so IF (and it’s a big if) the police actually start to fine these people it will, in the end, save them from injuring other people and/or themselves. However based on the lack of enforcement of existing laws that have seen over the years in Japan, I’m not holding my breath. Regarding the triple riding (mother and 2 children). On the one hand I can understand if you are a mother with 2 young children and no car and your bicycle is your only way to get around then you do not have many options. That being said, carrying the kids with no helmets just seems crazy to me. One fall and your child may be seriously damaged for life. How stupid! I agree with Nick that Japanese kids need to be taught how to ride a bike responsibly. I have asked several of my students if they ever received any instruction on the “rules of the road” when riding a bike and to a person they have said “no”. No wonder there are so many idiots on the road. Perhaps the worst I have seen was a guy with two kids holding an umbrella and trying to ride with one hand. Anybody seen worse?
If you think bicycle drivers are bad in Japan, you should see SUV drivers in Vancouver. Nothing against short Asian women, but if you can’t see over the dashboard, chances are you shouldn’t be driving that vehicle. They’ll change lanes without checking mirrors (since they can’t see them), drive on the sidewalk (since they can’t see where the sidewalk starts and the road ends) or downright clip you as you’re cycling in the bike lane. It’s downright offensive.
Aside from the local high school students who race through red lights or block an entire road because they want to ride shoulder-to-shoulder with their friends, I haven’t seen too many stupid antics.
Give me another year, though. I’m sure there will be a rant on this site sooner or later